Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-06
The Household.

DEAR KATE-DO you remember in my
last the mention OF "a perfect treasurer"
1t was a most unfortunate betrayal. By
what code of honor Z woman justIties her
approx CheS to auOther's cook | do not
know, out this is not among the least an
noying yeXations housekeepers encounter.
OF course | know the laborer is worthy of
hire, but because one woman is able
to pay more for service than another
fails to justify the undermined
measures so often'resOrted to to entiCe
domestic servants from their homes. \
more fair and honorable course would be
to see Inc employer and openly appeal to
her sense of justice regarding the en-
plOye. There is an old injunction in re-
gard to covetousness that includes in Its
enumeration of prohibitions the cOveting
of thy neighbours servant, and yet this is
100 often disregarded by those
VINO claim 10 govern their lives
by the book that contains it.
The requirements which render the girl
desirable generally result from patient
teaching on the part of the employer, and
simple justice requires that she should
reap someSf the fruit of her wearisome
labor. There is something radically
wrong in a state OF social Intercourse
where Il woman dare not breathe to an
other tnat she has good house service.
At present the only redress seems to be
the "eye for an eye" law, which ought to
be repuguant to the genuine woman.
The lessons of experience of which
spoke in my last letter have fitted me to
meet such emergencies, but my soul re-
coils from the task of always teaching IN
the primary department. The first ap-
pllCant could cook, wash and iron, so she
said, and while not elated over the pros
pect, these lessons being too recent to be
forgotten, hoped for at least some re-
turn for the wages demanded. Yes
terdsy morning found the lady Of
color ready for business, and l ordered
q plain breakfast, leaTing to her its pre-
paration. Now, Theo is patient man,
but half hours passed to hours and no
summons came from the breakfast room
Let me tell you, Kate, when the best of
husbands begins to walk the room, take
out his watch, 60 to the window and hum
softly, it is wifely wisdom to interview
the cook. | descended to the kitchen TO
he met by mInsling of odOrs inst, to
say the least Of them, wss not appetizing.
On opening the door l saw negro
man quietly sitting by the cook
stove ENJOYING his morning pipe,
after having had, as the
signs betrayed, his cup of coffe=. "Dis Is
my ole man." was the explanation OF mis-
presence, and l quietly submitted to the
inevitable, although not so set down in
the bend. To my query, as breakfast
ready?" her cheerful 'Yes'em," seemed
encouraging, put not so her deliberltt
mavement. To all things there is an end,
and it holds good in the cooking Of Il
breakfast, but such an array! Shade of
Epcurus, what could appease you? \
brotled steak, cooked on a griddle until it
resem1led leather ia color and taste,
biscuit greasy with lard ara yellow
with soda, and the coffee! Oh, she knew
it was good, for she Just let il "bile and
bile" The "bile and bile' readily be-
Iieved, for the wasting aroma had been
diffused over the entire house. l kept
my courage and my temper, although
TheO's grave attempt at smile was such
q ghostly reminder of our common woe
that almost cried. A hasty parting at
the hall door, then turned TO the work
in hand. With content rarely e4ueled,
l saw my sid-de,camp COM
fortably seated by the kitchen